The prince is back from hunting and he came to see me late last night. As much as I try, he still calls me “Cinder.” He thinks it’s a pretty nickname, but I don’t like it. Last night he came to me and kissed me like when we first met. But when he whispered in my ear, “Cinder...” and kissed me some more, I pushed him off of me.

“Can you please not call me that?” I took a chance and stood up to him.

“Why? It’s my pet name for you.” He winked at me and took my hand in his and kissed it. “You’re like a burning ember. It’s not like I call you that in front of anyone else.”

“But I don’t like it. It reminds me of before.” Memories of my stepsisters swirled in my head, but I did my best to repress them.

“That’s all ancient history. You’re here with me now and I’m the prince and you’re my princess.” He rushed forward and kissed me on the neck. “Come on, it’s just a little fun. I’ve been out hunting in the wild and now I’m back to be with you.”

“Unlike the last time when I smelled someone else’s perfume on you.” I pushed him away and crossed my arms.

“I swear that a girl I know just gave me a hug.” He averted his eyes to the window. “You’re making a big deal out of something that didn’t even happen.”

I don’t know why, but this time I pushed on. Maybe I had had enough. Maybe I was tired. Maybe I just wanted to be called by my real name. “Then stop calling me Cinder.”

“You’re no fun.” He got up and went over to the table and poured himself a big drink. “Sometimes I wonder why I—”

He turned away and drank all the whiskey down in one go.

“I think I just want to go to bed tonight.” I got up and headed for my room. “I’m not feeling well.”

He slammed his glass on the table and shouted, “Wait.”

I had never heard him use that tone with me before, and I froze. My heart beat fast and I tried hard to think about what to do.

“I don’t want you to go.” He poured himself a second drink and sidled over to me. “We can have a lot fun tonight. If you can get off of your high horse and relax a bit. Here, have some.”

He thrust his drink at me, but I pushed it away.

“Come on, don’t be mean. You know how much I love you.” He roughly kissed my neck and the whiskey stench rose up and almost made me gag.

“I’m not being mean. I just want to go to bed.” I pushed him away, but he wrapped his arm around my waist and squeezed me tight.

“I like it when you play hard to get. Let’s go back to my bed.” He balanced his drink in his right hand and kept me close with his left.

“Please.” I shoved him harder and his drink spilled all onto the carpet.

He tried to twist his arm to save it, but failed miserably. And then he looked at me with pure hatred in his eyes. His forehead furrowed and his voice went from playful to filled with rage in the blink of an eye. “Now look at what you made me do!”

“I didn’t mean it. I’ve sorry.” I felt stupid for speaking, but didn’t know what else to say.

“That’s all you say these days. ‘I’m sorry.’ I want you to stop this nonsense and do what I tell you to do.” He pounded his empty glass into his side to demonstrate the wave of anger that roiled over him.

The tears welled up in my eyes and I sobbed. “Please, I just want to go to bed.” I folded my hands and begged him. “I’m really not feeling good. I feel sick and want to sleep.”

“And here you are, crying like a baby.” He threw his glass across the room with such force that it shattered into hundreds of pieces. “Get out of my sight. Leave!” He pointed at the door and turned his back on me.

I hurried away with my shoulders slumped and head down. All I wanted to do was leave.

Behind me, I caught him mumbling to himself, though loud enough to make certain I heard him. “Looks like I will be going to the tavern tonight.”

If he wanted a reaction out of me, I didn’t stay to play any more of his game.

Once in the hall, I ran as fast as I could.

Once back in my room, I bolted the door and rushed over to my bed and looked underneath. I found a large box that I had hidden there, dragged it out, and placed it on my bed.

Quickly, without thinking, I knocked the lid off and grabbed my glass slippers and held them close to my chest and said, “Oh Fairy Godmother, please come and help me. I know that I promised that I wouldn’t bother you again, but I need your help tonight.”

I closed my eyes and waited for her magic to encircle me with its warmth.

But nothing happened.

She had helped me once, and that would have to be enough. I threw the slippers onto my bed and rushed over to my open window. Outside, I could feel the warmth from the hot summer day still lingering in the air. Far off in the distance, fireflies blinked in a line of trees.

Off to the right and by the front gate, I spied the prince rushing out on his horse. He and three of his friends headed off as fast as they could toward town.

At their going, a part of me relaxed. I would be safe tonight. No matter what he thought, I knew the truth. He would spend the night in the arms of one of the tavern girls. He’d deny it, but I’m not dumb.

With him gone, a wild idea popped into my mind and I grabbed the glass slippers and ran down to the kitchens. At so late an hour, no one saw me. I grabbed a cloak and headed out through the servants’ door. Now that the prince had gone, I knew that the guards would kick back and play cards in their barracks.

Alone much of the time, I’d come accustomed to the comings and goings of the house’s staff. My Lady’s maid had already gone to bed on hearing that the prince had come home from hunting. And though our argument was loud, the prince had most of the floor to himself. No one bothered him. And if they did hear anything, they always looked the other way.

Once I sneaked out into the night, I ran toward the line of trees. The moon hung high, and I thought I heard an owl hooting in the night. When I reached the trees, I went deeper into the forest until I found a small creek that weaved its way around the back of the manor.

Careful not to slip down the embankment, I climbed down and stood on a large rock that jutted out into the water.

Gently and with much care, I knelt down and hid my glass slippers in the creek underneath a piece of the rock that jutted out over the water. Confident that the slippers were safe, I clasped my hands together and said a silent prayer to my Fairy Godmother.

No matter what happened between the prince and me, I wanted to make certain that the slippers would be safe.

Some other girl might need them in the future.

Happy with my little act of rebellion, I turned away and headed back home.

Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I glimpsed an eerie green glow in the water, but as fast as I was in turning around, nothing looked unusual. It must have been my imagination.

With the slippers safely hidden and the prince away for the night, I headed back, knowing that the time had come for me to leave him. I didn’t know when or how, but I knew like how the sun rises in the east and sets in the west that my days were numbered with him.